1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image pickup system including a pair of lens apparatus and a camera apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional image pickup system having an interlock control function in which a convergence angle of the pair of lens apparatus is changed in association with focusing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as to the three-dimensional image pickup system, there is known a technology for automatically adjusting a parallax by controlling a convergence angle between lens apparatus for a right eye (right side) and for a left eye (left side) for a three-dimensional image pickup apparatus (namely, an angle between optical axes of the left and right lenses) in association with focusing or the like of the lens apparatus.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-026635 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-162990 disclose technologies for controlling the convergence angle between the lens apparatuses in association with a focus action of the lens apparatus.
However, the conventional technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-026635 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-162990 have the following problems. For instance, it is supposed that a photographer wants to shoot a motion picture with a fixed convergence angle after operating the convergence angle in association with focusing in order to largely change a shooting scene. In this case, despite of the photographer's intention, the convergence angle will operate in association with focusing.
On the other hand, in a manual operation of focusing, the convergence angle may be moved in association with an unintentional action of a focus operation member in a case where the photographer unintentionally touches a manual operation member, a case where a mechanical vibration is applied to the member, a case where the member is not completely stopped mechanically because of loose fixation, or other cases. In addition, the convergence angle may reciprocate in association with a wobbling motion (reciprocating motion for searching for an in-focus position) in a contrast AF.
In a case of two-dimensional photography (hereinafter referred to as 2D photography) other than three-dimensional photography, the above-mentioned unintentional action of the focus (member) and the wobbling motion do not become obvious as a large problem of the image as long as within a depth of field. However, in the case of the three-dimensional image pickup system in which the convergence angle changes in association with focusing, because the convergence angle acts in an interlocking manner even within the depth of field, there is a large obvious problem that a stereoscopic effect is largely changed as a problem unique to the three-dimensional image photography.
As described above, in the case of the three-dimensional image pickup system in which the convergence angle changes in association with focusing, it is necessary to change the interlock to non-interlock for an unintentional focus movement, for example.